The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1887-02-05
BrOadbTim'S New York Letter.
Special to the CARBON ADVOCATE.


er a question of discipline than faith; but
each party plants itself on the principle of
absolute right, and it now looks as though
nothing but a special interposition of
Providence can settle the vexed question,
which threatens the dismemberment of
one of the most powerful Catholic churches
in the city. The trouble which has cul
minated in the slencing of Father McGlynn
did not commence with Henry George. 1t
dates back years ago when Hughes was
building up the Catholic Parochial Schools,
and Father McGlynn took bold stand in
favor of our Common School system main
tanning that temporal and spiritual teaching
should be separate. During his lifetime,
he differed on this subject from his Emf
nence Cardinal McCloskey; but that excel
lent divine, knowing the worth and works
of Father McGlynn-never thought of
Furnishing him for his contumacy. No two
men could be more different in character
! than Cardinal McCloskey and Archbishop
Corrigan. The Cardinal was mild and
gentle; Archbishop Corrigan was fighter
| from his boyhood. His father, Tom Corri-
gan, was well known in Newark, n. j..
! fifty years ago and kept the principal liquor
| disputatious, hard headed fighting man.
The present Archbishop fought his way
! through school, he fought his way through
college, and was an aggressive fighter from
the hour he entered the priesthood. His
rapid advancement was not hailed with
unqualified satisfaction by many people
who thought there were several priests more
deserving of advancement than he, who
| finally secured the mitre and the crozier.
His ideas of church discipline are worthy
of the earliest ages; there is no appeal from
his decision, absolute obedience is insisted
on from all his subordinates, and to his au-
thority there must be no question.
He fails to recognize the altered condi-
tien of things in the United States,
though he himself was born here; and
though he was raised among them, he does
not seem TO understand that notwithstand-
ing their exacting church discipline, there
is no more independent body of men than
the Catholic priesthood of this country.
This spirit of individual independence has
been growing rapidly Of late years, and
Archbishop Corrigan cannot put it back.
Father McGlynn was power in New York
beloved by thousands, before the Arch
bishop was known in the city. Father
McGlyhn is not rich priest. doubt very
much If he would have been rich, if he had
Gould combined. Charity never applied to
him in vain-the poor were his constant
companions; for them he labored, with
them he worked, and he built St. Stephen S
Church up from poor weak congregation.
to one of the most powerful and respectable
in the city. In all the years of his minis
tration 10 word ever tainted his reputation.
l was goingto say, that even his enemies
spoke well of him; but he had no enemies
He differed from his superiors on some
matters purely local; doing what he con-
sidered best for his parrish; but every
priestly VOW was kept, every priestly office
performed, every canon of the church OBJ
served, his catholicism as untainted as that
of Gregory or Plus. No wonder New York
is up in arms when such a man is struck
down.
We have seen churches rent in pieces
we have seen ministers driven forth from
their pulpits in disgrace, and congregations
rent in twain by scandals that were shame
on our civilization, but there is nothing of
this about st. Stephens. The priest stands
the peer of any minister of Christ, of what
ever denomination in all this land, and the
congregation to man are Catholics, as de-
vout as any to be found in christendom.
From this standpoint the rebellion is un-
heard of. Father Donnelly, the priest APP
pointed to succeed Father McGlynn, walks
into the priestly residence. and the house
maid won't make him bed, the cook won't
give him anything to eat, the porter won
light the fire, the choir refuse to sing, and
the collectors refuse to gather the charit-
able aims of the worshippers-contumac
could scarcely 60 any further than this. 1t
+ is pretty evident that there is a spirit
abroad, which the church has never been
called upon to encounter before. The
American priest recognizes the fact, that
besides being a priest he is an American
citizen; and the solemn question arises
whether in matters referring entirely to his
citizenship he will hold his political privil-
eyes and rights subject to the beck and call
of foreign potentate. On the other hand
the church holds that the question of prop
erty in land is a question of public morals,
and being question of morals is directly
within the supervision of the church. Ii
looks as if there was an irrepressible con.
flict close at hand, which may lead to very
serious results. Only the other day young
girl in Newark was publicly excommuni.
Gated from the Catholic church because she
? married Protestant. A dispensation had
been procured for the marriage, and the
Catholic, and had taken instruction from
the priest. In the meantime, the priest
heard he had been living with another wo,
man, and refused to proceed with the mar
riage; the pair then went to New York,
and were married by the Mayor; on their
return to Newark the girl was promptly ex.
communicated, the priest declaring that
} the church abhorred the marriage of Pro
testants and Catholics. That same week a
similar affair occurred on Long Island, only
with an entirely different result. A man
named Townsend bought beautiful place
on Long Island from a celebrated New
York Pug; and Mr.. Townsend went to
live there with his wife, but he drank like
a fish to the great scandal Of his neighbors
rLln, L. nnl L.